Portulaca plant named ‘Summer Joy Light Pink’

ABSTRACT

Portulaca ‘Summer Joy Light Pink’ is a new variety of  Portulaca oleracea . This plant has a vigorous, spreading plant growth which produces large, light pink flowers having a pale greenish-yellow center.

BACKGROUND OF THE NEW PLANT

This invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Portulacaplant, hereinafter referred to by the name ‘Summer Joy Light Pink’.Portulaca ‘Summer Joy Light Pink’ is a new variety of Portulacaoleracea. The plant has a vigorous spreading growth habit and can beused as a groundcover. It can also be used in a potted or hanging basketpresentation. The invention's flowers are light pink (RHS 69A) with apale greenish-yellow (RHS 1C) center. The flowers are single and measure5.4 to 5.8 centimeters in diameter when fully open. There are fivedistinct petals with an indent at the tip of each petal. Portulacaflowers will typically close under low light and low temperatureconditions such as late in the day and at night. ‘Summer Joy Light Pink’Portulaca flowers will stay open later into the evening than most othercultivated varieties. The plant performs well in hot and dry climates.The plant is very resistant to rain, heat and drought.

ORIGIN AND ASEXUAL REPRODUCTION

The new cultivar is propagated asexually from vegetative cuttings. Theasexual reproduction establishes that the plant does in fact maintainthe characteristics described in successive generations. ‘Summer JoyLight Pink’ has been reproduced by stem cuttings in Salinas, Calif., andall of the characteristics thereof have been determined to be firmlyfixed.

In June, 1994, a mutation line arose from ‘Summer Joy Pink’, which iscurrently pending in the U.S. Patent Office with Ser. No. 09/353,044,that possessed flowers that were a lighter shade of pink. This plantline was isolated and vegetatively reproduced for several moregenerations. In February, 1997, cuttings of this plant line were sent toCalifornia. During the spring and summer of 1997 and 1998, plants weregrown under the direction and supervision of the inventor for evaluationof the stability of the line's desired traits. Plants were evaluated ingreenhouse pots at the research station at Salinas, Calif., and at thebreeding station in Kakegawa, Japan. The invention, ‘Summer Joy LightPink’ Portulaca, was determined by the inventor to have itscharacteristics, as herein described, firmly fixed.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF DRAWINGS

The accompanying drawings serve by color photographic means toillustrate the new plant variety, ‘Summer Joy Light Pink’. The colorsare represented as true as possible using conventional photographicprocedures.

FIG. 1 is a close-up view of a ‘Summer Joy Light Pink’ flowerillustrating its color and shape.

FIG. 2 is a view of the new cultivar after growing in a greenhouse for 8to 10 weeks in a six-inch diameter pot.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE NEW VARIETY

The following description is based on observations and measurements from14-16 week old plants grown in six-inch pots at Salinas, Calif. Theseplants were grown in plastic pots containing a peat moss-based medium.The plants were grown in the greenhouse under full sunlight in Salinas,Calif. Night temperatures ranged from 16° C. to 21° C. and daytemperatures ranged from 24° C. to 35° C. The soil was not allowed tostay saturated but the plants were irrigated when the soil began to dry,or every second or third day. Soluble fertilizer was applied through anoverhead irrigation system. The fertilizer contained 18% nitrogen, 8%phosphorus and 18% potassium. Every fourth irrigation was done withnon-fertilizer water. Color designations were made according to TheRoyal Horticultural Society Colour Chart published by The RoyalHorticultural Society of London, England.

Origin: Japan.

Parent: Sport of Summer Joy Pink (pending U.S. Patent application Ser.No. 09/353,044).

Classification:

Family.—Portulacaceae.

Genus.—Portulaca.

Species.—Oleracea.

Commercial.—Portulaca/Purslane ‘Summer Joy Light Pink’.

Plant:

Growth habit.—Prostrate.

Plant height.—7 cm.

Spreading area of plant.—60-80 cm (in a six-inch pot).

Vigor.—The plant is most vigorous at high temepratures.

Time to initiate/develop roots.—Vegetative cuttings root in 7-10 daysafter placing into a rooting medium such as a peat moss-based mixture.The cuttings will form roots without the use of overhead mist.

Stem:

Thickness.—2.2 mm.

Color.—Yellowish green (144C) with red-purple RHS 60A anthocyaninpigment present in the axial portion of the stem.

Pubescence.—Present only at the nodes.

Branching.—Abundant.

Length of internode.—10-20 mm.

Leaf:

Shape.—Oblanceolate with cuspidate tip in mature leaves and acute tipsin younger leaves near the apex of the stem.

Length (average).—2.1 cm.

Width (average).—1.0 cm.

Thickness.—1.5 mm.

Color.—Upper leaf surface is green RHS 137A and the lower surface isgreen (137C).

Pubescence.—None.

Texture.—Leaf surface is smooth, shiny and wax-like. Leaves are thickand fleshy.

Flower:

Shape.—Five distinct petals with an indent at tip of petal.

Petal shape.—Heart-shaped with a square base; approximately 1.7×1.4 cm.

Lobation.—None.

Diameter.—5.4-5.8 cm when fully opened.

Color.—Unopened stage (the development stage at which the petals haveelongated from the sepals but not yet fully extended and opened): Lightpink (68D); Upper petal color is red-purple (69A); Lower petal color isred-purple (69B); Mature stage: Light pink (69A), with a yellow-green(154A) center.

Bud.—Lanceolate shaped; mature bud measures 1.6 cm in length and 0.7 cmin diameter; color is yellow-green (145A).

Sepal.—Two sepals, deltoid shaped; measures 1 cm in length and 0.9 cm inwidth; sepals are thin, paper-like, smooth and shiny; color istransparent with green venation.

Habit.—The flowers bloom during midmorning and close at night. Eachflower blooms only once and are produced throughout the growing season.The plants produce flowers regardless of day length; the plants are dayneutral. Plants can have 40 to 50 open flowers at one time and have nofragrance.

Season of bloom.—In zone 9 and similar locations this plant will flowerthroughout the entire year. Growth is less vigorous during the cooltemperatures and short days of winter, but the plant will continue tobloom.

Hardiness.—Plant is heat tolerant; thrives in heat and humidity; plantis not cold tolerant or below 7° C.

Reproductive organs.—One yellow (4C) pistil with five narrow stylebranches and many yellow (4C) stamen with yellow (4C) anthers andfilaments. Stigma is white. Pollen is orange (26A); does not produceseed.

Disease and Insect Resistance

No unusual susceptibility to diseases or insects have been observed.

Comparison with Other Know Varieties

The new variety is distinguished from other Portulaca plants known toinventor by its flower color, larger flower size and ability to stayopen later into the evening. The closest commercial cultivar that we areaware of is the Portulaca plant named ‘Yubi® Light Pink’ (an unpatentedvariety). The distinguishing characteristics, which differentiate‘Summer Joy Light Pink’ from ‘Yubi® Light Pink’, are:

‘Summer Joy Light Pink’ ‘Yubi ® Light Pink’ Flower Diameter 5.4-5.8 cm4.3-4.8 cm Flower Color Solid light pink with pale Light pink withgreenish-yellow center white streaks at edges and tip Flower ClosingOpen longer in evening Closes earlier Behavior in afternoon

We claim:
 1. A new and distinct cultivar of Portulaca as shown and described herein. 